January 20 – Daily Notes – Amanda

17-32 – As Joseph makes clear in yesterday’s reading in verse 16, Joseph is not responsible for the interpretation, God is. Joseph is just the vessel.

32 – As we’ve said before, when things are repeated, it means it’s important and should be paid attention to. This is no different with Pharaoh’s dreams.

37-45 – Joseph’s faithfulness in the midst of adversity pays off.

45 – Potiphera is not the same as Potipher whose house Joseph served in and was falsely accused in.

1 – This is Jacob, Joseph’s father.

4 – Benjamin was still young and Jacob had already lost the only other son of his favorite wife, Rachel.

6-10 – Joseph’s dreams that frustrated his brothers when they were young, were now coming true. Joseph recognizes his brothers but they don’t recognize him because there is no way they could have imagined this scenario.

12-17 – Joseph uses this ruse because he wants to see his younger brother.

Matthew 13:24-46:

24-30 – A very powerful parable! God could have destroyed all the people who did not believe in him at any point, but he chooses not to because the destruction of all of them would certainly damage the faith of many believers. We see this even in reading Scripture and feeling sorry for the wicked people in Noah’s day who were drowned. We wonder why God had to destroy them. So God allows believers and non-believers to prosper even if it might make it more difficult for believers.

31-32 – Mustard plants grow quickly and are wild plants.

33 – Clearly Jesus wanted to describe the many intricacies of the kingdom of God. The fact that there are three parables describing the same thing means he wants you to take special note of this.

44-46 – It is unprecedented for a theme to be repeated five times so quickly. The order of the kingdom of heaven was necessary to understand.

Psalm 18:1-15:

David attempts to describe the power of God and how he comes to our aid when we earnestly cry out for help.

Proverbs 4:1-6:

Solomon doesn’t just ask the reader to take from his lessons, he too took the lessons from his father, David.